Spafford
stone separator



Sept 0, 1966 B. 1.. SPAFFORD 3,273,712

STONE SEPARATOR Filed July l0, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

554 7 A. Sew/0P0 waxy 5 Se t. 20, 1966 B. SPAFFORD 3,273,712

STONE SEPARATOR Filed July 10, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 5547 A SQMFQPQ Sept. 20, 1966 B. L. SPAFFORD STONE SEPARATOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 10, 1964 INVENTOR.

55?? Z. S AA QPQ United States Patent 3,273,712 STONE SEPARATOR Bert L. Spaiford, Rte. 3, Rhinelander, Wis. 54501 Filed July 10, 1964, Ser. No. 381,659

Claims. (Cl. 209-147) The present invention generally relates to a separating device and more particularly to a device for separating stones, rocks and the like from potatoes or other root crops.

An object of the present invention is to porvide a stone and potato separator which employs an air stream for picking up the lightweight potatoes and conveying them away from the heavy stones or rocks.

A further object of this invention is to provide a stone and potato separator in which the mixture of stones and potatoes are conveyed over an air stream on a web chain belt thereby enabling the air to pass therethrough for picking up the potatoes and moving them to a receptacle or conveyor where the force of the air stream is dissipated since it is permitted to expand, thus reducing the velocity thereof.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a stone and potato separator which may be either portable or stationary and operated from any readily available power source such as an electric motor, gasoline engine or power take off.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a separator for efliciently separating potatoes or other root crops from stones or rocks which is simple in construction, easy to operate, long lasting and durable and generally inexpensive to manufacture and operate.

The foregoing and other objects and features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the stone and potato separator of the present invention,

FIGURE 2 is an end elevational view of the separator,

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the separator from the right side,

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of the separator from the lift side, and

FIGURE 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially along section line 5-5 of FIGURE 1 illustrating some of the structural details of the separator of the present invention.

Referring now specifically to the drawings in detail, the separator of the present invention is generally designated by reference numeral which includes a framework 12 formed by bottom rails 14, corner posts 16 and top rails 18, all rigidly interconnected to form a rigid framework.

An axle 20 is supported from the framework 12 by bearing blocks 22 depending from bottom rails 14 with the axle 20 having ground engaging wheels 24 for forming a mobile structure. A forwardly projecting tongue 26 is afiixed to the bottom rails 14 for connection to a towing vehicle. While the device has been disclosed as being portable, it may also be stationarily supported if desired.

An elongated conveyor 28 is mounted on the framework 12 in an inclined transverse orientation. The conveyor 28 includes a bottom plate 30 and side walls 32 and end rollers on pulleys 34 that are journalled in the side walls 32. A web chain conveyor belt 36 is entrained over the end rollers 34 and passes along the top surface of the bottom plate 30. A pair of idler rollers 38 and 40 are supported from the framework 12 to support the return flight of the belt 36 as illustrated in FIGURE 5 with roller 38 being journalled on bracket 42 and roller 40 being journalled on a support frame 44.

The lower end roller 34 is supported by the side walls 32 which are supported from the framework in any suitable manner such as by support frame 46 which also supports a motor 48 for driving the upper roller 34 by a chain or belt 50 and sprockets or pulleys 52. The center part of the bottom plate 30 includes an enlarged opening 54 therein communicating with a discharge duct 56 of a blower or fan 58 having an enlarged housing 60 with a funneled inlet 62 at one end and an input shaft 64 extending into the other end which may also be open for air inlet. Each inlet opening is provided with a screen to prevent entry of foreign material into the housing 60. The fan 58 is supported from the framework by brackets 66 and the duct 56 is also supported by a bracket 68 and includes a dust and air outlet 70 directed upwardly and laterally outwardly as illustrated in FIGURE 5.

The fan input shaft 64 has a pair of V-belt pulleys 72 thereon which are engaged by V-belts 74 which also encircle large drive pulleys 76 that are connected directly to a power take-off shaft 78 extending from a tractor or other towing vehicle.

The duct 56 has an air inlet control aperture 80 therein for introducing air therein above the conveyor 28 and a pivotal closure plate 82 along with an adjustment screw 84 mounted on a bracket 86 is provided for the opening 80 for controlling the flow of air therethrough.

Also, the duct 56 includes a bottom opening 88 near the discharge end 70 for receiving potatoes which drop out of the air stream in the duct 56 and a conveyor 90 forms a bottom for the opening 88 for receiving potatoes. Conveyor 90 includes a belt 92, end rollers 44 and 96 and idler rollers 98 and 100 for guiding movement of belt 92 under opening 88 with the end :roller 94 forming a discharge for potatoes and being supported by side walls 102 and driven from motor 104 through a belt or chain drive 106. Each of the motors may include reduction gear drives and may be any type of motor such as electric, fluid or gasoline.

In use, potatoes and stones are placed on the bottom end of conveyor 28 and conveyed over opening 54 Where the air stream picks up the relatively light potatoes while leaving relatively heavy stones on conveyor 28 for discharge at the upper end thereof. The potatoes are conveyed through duct 56 into the large air chamber 87 which has the opening 88 therein whereby the air velocity is decreased due to the increase in cross-sectional area whereby the force of gravity causes potatoes entrained in the slowed air stream, which is also caused by opening 80, to drop onto the conveyor belt 92 for conveyance to a storage bin or the like.

Although the present invention has been disclosed in connection with a preferred embodiment thereof, variations and modifications may be resorted to by those skilled in the art without departing from the principles of the invention. Such variations and modifications are considered to be within the true spirit and scope of the invention, as disclosed in the foregoing description and defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A separator for relatively light and heavy objects such as potatoes and stones, a framework of generally box-like configuration, a transverse extend-ing inclined conveying means mounted on said framework for conveying mixed objects thereon, fan means on said framework for producing an air stream, said conveying means carrying said mixed objects over said air stream whereby the lighter objects will be entrained in the air stream and the heavier objects carried beyond the air stream to the end of the conveying means, and means for receiving said lighter objects, said receiving means being disposed in the bottom of an expansion chamber for the air stream thereby discharging the lighter objects from the slowed air stream.

2. A separator for relatively light and heavy objects such as potatoes and stones, a framework of generally box-like configuration, a transverse extending inclined conveying means mounted on said framework for conveying mixed objects thereon, fan means on said framework for producing an air stream, said conveying means carrying said mixed objects over said air stream whereby the lighter objects will be entrained in the air stream and the heavier objects carried beyond the air stream to the end of the conveying means, and means for receiving said lighter objects, said receiving means being disposed in the bottom of an expansion chamber for the air stream thereby discharging the lighter objects from the slowed air stream, said fan means including a blower with an upwardly inclined discharge duct intersecting said conveyor means, said conveyor means including a perforated belt riding on a bottom plate having an enlarged opening in registry with the interior of the duct for causing the air stream to pass through the perforate belt and the objects mounted thereon.

3. A separator for relatively light and heavy objects such as potatoes and stones, a framework of generally box-like configuration, a transverse extending inclined conveying means mounted on said framework for conveying mixed objects thereon, fan means on said framework for producing an air stream, said conveying means carrying said mixed objects over said air stream whereby the lighter objects will be entrained in the air stream, and means for receiving said lighter objects, said receiving means being disposed in the bottom of an expansion chamber for the air stream thereby discharging the lighter objects from the slowed air stream, said fan means including a blower with an upwardly inclined discharge duct intersecting said conveyor means, said conveyor means including a perforated belt riding on a bottom plate having an enlarged opening in registry with the interior of the duct for causing the air stream to pass through the perforate belt and the objects mounted thereon, said duct having a discharge end above the expansion chamber, and including a controlled air inlet between the conveyor means and the expansion chamber, said fan means, conveying means and receiving means being independently driven.

4. A separator for relatively light and heavy objects such as potatoes and stones, a framework of generally box-like configuration, a transverse extending inclined conveying means mounted on said framework for conveying mixed objects thereon, fan means on said framework for producing an air stream, said conveying means carrying said mixed objects over said air stream whereby the lighter objects Will be entrained in the air stream, and means for receiving said lighter objects, said receiving means being disposed in the bottom of an expansion chamber for the air stream thereby discharging the lighter objects from the slowed air stream, said fan means including a blower with an upwardly inclined discharge duct intersecting said conveyor means, said conveyor means including a perforated belt .riding on a bottom plate having an enlarged opening in registry with the interior of the duct for causing the air stream to pass through the perforate belt and the objects mounted thereon, said duct having a discharge end above the exsuch as potatoes and stones, a framework of generally M. HENSON WOOD,

box-like configuration, a transverse extending inclined conveying means mounted on said framework for conveying mixed objects thereon, fan means on said framework for producing an air stream, said conveying means carry-ing said mixed objects over said air stream whereby the lighter objects will be entrained in the air stream, and means for receiving said lighter objects, said receiving means being disposed in the bottom of an expansion chamber for the air stream thereby discharging the lighter objects from the slowed air stream, said fan means including a blower with an upwardly inclined discharge duct intersecting said conveyor means, said conveyor means including a perforated belt riding on a bottom plate having an enlarged opening in registry with the interior of the duct for causing the air stream to pass through the perforate belt and the objects mounted thereon, said duct having a discharge end above the expansion chamber, and including a controlled air inlet between the conveyor means and the expansion chamber, said fan means, conveying means and receiving means being independently driven, said receiving means including a belt conveyor having one end underlying and forming at least a part of the expansion chamber for receiving the light objects and conveying them laterally of the framework, said framework being supported by ground engaging wheels thereby rendering the device portable, said fan means including a power take-off power input shaft.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,612,993 10/1952 Levesqus 209-34 X 3,110,665 11/1963 Gustafson 20935 ]R., Primary Examiner.

A. N. KNOWLES, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SEPARATOR FOR RELATIVELY LIGHT AND HEAVY OBJECTS SUCH AS POTATOES AND STONES, A FRAMEWORK OF GENERALLY BOX-LIKE CONFIGURATION, A TRANSVERSE EXTENDING INCLINED CONVEYING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID FRAMEWORK FOR CONVEYING MIXED OBJECTS THEREON, FAN MEANS ON SAID FRAMEWORK FOR PRODUCING AN AIR STREAM, SAID CONVEYING MEANS CARRYING SAID MIXED OBJECTS OVER SAID AIR STREAM WHEREBY THE LIGHTER OBJECTS WILL BE ENTRAINED IN THE AIR STREAM AND THE HEAVIER OBJECTS CARRIED BEYOND TTHE AIR STREAM TO THE END OF THE CONVEYING MEANS, AND MEANS FOR RECEIVING SAID LIGHTER OBJECTS, SAID RECEIVING MEANS BEING DISPOSED IN THE BOTTOM OF AN EXPANSION CHAMBER FOR THE AIR STREAM THEREBY DISCHARGING THE LIGHTER OBJECTS FROM THE SLOWED AIR STREAM. 